- * Appoints 35 Year-old Khalil Suleiman Halilu As New Head of Agency
By Janet Bassey (Governance Reporter, in Abuja)
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on Friday, replaced the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Dr Bashir Gwandu, with a 35 year-old Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the new head of the Agency.
Gwandu's replacement is coming after barely three months of assuming office as NASENI boss.
A statement on Friday, September 1, 2023 by the Presidential Spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, did not give any reason for the replacement of Gwandu whose performance so far in the past three months has been widely commended.
Gwandu who holds a PhD in Electrical Engineering, is a Chartered Electrical Engineer. He is also one of the Fellows of the prestigious Institution of Engineering Technology (IET) UK. He served as Acting EVC/CEO of the NCC in 2010 and was the Executive Commissioner for Engineering and Technical Standards.
The new Executive Vice Chairman of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI), Mr Khalil Suleiman Halilu, according to the Presidency's statement released to the media by Ajuri Ngelale, said Halilu’s appointment takes immediate effect.
The Aso Rock statement said: “President Bola Tinubu on Friday approved the appointment of Khalil Suleiman Halilu as the new Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the National Agency for Science and Engineering Infrastructure (NASENI),” the statement read.
“By this appointment, Khalil Suleiman Halilu will serve for an initial term of five years in accordance with the relevant sections of the NASENI Act, 2014. Mr. Halilu, 32, is expected to bring his significant experience as an innovator and technology expert to bear in this important new national assignment.
“The tenure of Dr. Bashir Gwandu as EVC/CEO of NASENI is hereby terminated. By the directive of the President, this appointment takes immediate effect.”
Available information about the new NASENI boss, Khalil Halilu, revealed that he studied at the University of Hertfordshire and obtained his Bachelor of Science (B.Sc) degree in Business Administration, as well as his Master’s degree in International Business. He is also a tech innovator who has founded and invested in several startups.
Khalil, in 2018, launched Zabe, an election monitoring application that monitors election counts in Nigeria and provides detailed feedback on the election process to observers. He founded the first-ever eco-friendly technological hub in West Africa, best known as The CANs.
This hub grew very popular over a short period and has continued to attract fellow environmentalists and technology enthusiasts from all over the continent.
The CANs became a community that encourages individuals to share ideas, host events, and become one with nature, The CANS is not only a technological platform but also serves as a center, where technology start-ups can connect, learn, grow and prosper.
The out-gone NASENI Executive Secretary, Dr Bashir Gwandu who was appointed into office on May 12, 2023 by the then out-going Chairman of the NASENI Governing Council, ex-president Muhammadu Buhari administration, took over from Mrs. Nonyelum Onyechi, a Superintending Officer of the Agency in acting capacity.
Dr Gwandu's appointment and his formal assumption of office on May 22, 2023, followed the expiration of a 10-year tenure of five years each by the former EVC/CEO of the agency, Prof. Mohammed Sani Haruna in April 2023.
NASENI is a critical Agency of the Federal Government of Nigeria established to "...nurture an appropriate and dynamic Science and Engineering infrastructure base for achieving home initiated and home sustained industrialization through the development of relevant processes, capital goods and equipment necessary for job creation, national economic well being and progress. NNL.
